hear the recitation. Even if we concede that he was close by, it is possible that he forgot the precise passage that was recited and remembered only its length, so he had to rely on approximation and conjecture. What led scholars to posit such possibilities is that all the reports indicating silent recitation are feeble and weak, unfit to be cited as proof. A report that affirms a matter takes precedence over one that negates it; thus audible recitation rests on the sounder, stronger, and more firmly established evidence when the narrations conflict.

The scholars likewise differed over whether a sermon (khutbah) is recommended for the eclipse prayer. The three Imams held that it has no sermon. Imam al-Shafiʿi, Ishaq, and many hadith scholars, however, considered it recommended. Some later researchers preferred a nuanced view: if the people need admonition and guidance, the sermon is recommended—just as the Prophet ﷺ preached on the day of the solar eclipse when people claimed it occurred because of the death of Ibrahim, and he spoke to remove that ignorant pre-Islamic belief from their minds. If there is no such need, the sermon is not prescribed, for it was only delivered on account of a specific reason and should therefore remain tied to that reason. Allah knows best.